Another Semester Begins!

Monastic students at University of the West, Rosemead, CA, January 20, 2013. Photo by Vy Furen (Phuoc Nhan) and posted to her Facebook page.

Today a new semester starts at University of the West, where I work as an assistant professor and Coordinator of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Department. Over the weekend, one of our students posted the above picture on Facebook; it shows a large group of our monastic students returned to campus. As you can imagine, it brought a smile to many UWest faces when it was posted.

This semester, I’m teaching a course on “Spiritual Leadership” to the graduate students in our MDiv program. It’s my favorite course to teach: Gandhi, King, as well as Buddhist leaders Sulak Sivaraksa, A.T. Ariyaratne, and Aung San Suu Kyi are explored. In addition, this semester we’re going to have a special focus on economic justice. So that they get a real look at some of the worst effects of poverty in our country, I’ll be taking the students to see Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, and we’ll be going to serve in a soup kitchen as well. I’m also going to teach a new undergraduate course in “Service Learning,” which I’m very excited about — almost 20 students have signed up at this point! (I’ll also be teaching an online class entitled “Assisting the Process: Life Transitions in the Context of Spiritual Care and Counseling” for my friends at Hartford Seminary, which I’m very pleased about.)

As you can tell, UWest is an often very delightful community in which to study, practice, and work. Check us out online at www.uwest.edu.

ABOUT OFF THE CUSHION This blog begins with the assumption that Thai social critic and engaged Buddhist thinker Sulak Sivaraksa is correct when he says, "Any attempt to understand Buddhism apart from its social dimension is fundamentally a mistake." It also affirms Cambodian peace activist and Buddhist monk Maha Ghosananda's belief that "we must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering." Therefore we shall seek to look closely at contemporary human problems in light of Buddhist thought, looking for ways to apply Buddhist values in service of a more just, peaceful, and loving world. Rev. Danny Fisher, ordained Buddhist minister and chaplain, is the author, but your thoughts and contributions are most welcome and strongly encouraged.